ATS Launches RanARedLight.us Website to Highlight Red-Light Running

TEMPE, AZ – It’s National Stop on Red Week and American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is using the occasion to launch a new website, RanARedLight.us,to help raise awareness about the dangers of red-light running. National Stop on Red Week takes place the first week of August each year and is dedicated to educating Americans about the perils of red-light running through education and enforcement. RanARedLight.us posts daily news stories from all corners of the country, highlighting the scope of the nation’s red-light running problem and reminding everyone about the inherent dangers of running a red light.

“As RanARedLight.us shows, red-light running crashes can endanger anyone in any community. One recent article recounts how a red-light running crash in Waco, Texas, sent a car rolling into a nearby house. If this reckless behavior can frighten people in their own home, imagine the harm that can come to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists and others at the intersection,” said Charles Territo, ATS Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs. “Red-light running is a serious public safety issue that injures and kills innocent people every day.”

According to the latest figures available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), red-light running crashes killed 680 people and injured more than 130,000 in 2012. During the five years leading up to 2012, red-light running crashes killed more than 3,500 people and injured over 580,000. Notwithstanding the emotional costs that accompany a collision, a recent AAA study estimated the cost of a single fatal crash at $6 million, while an injury crash costs $126,000. The economic costs extend to victims, families, government, insurers, taxpayers and others.

Numerous studies confirm that red-light safety cameras help reduce the number of dangerous red-light running crashes. A 2011 IIHS report found red-light safety cameras lowered red-light running fatalities by 24 percent in 14 large U.S. cities. Reports released this year from New Jersey and Florida, showed decreases in right-angle crashes, which is the type of crash most likely to result from running a red light. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) reported a 60 percent decrease in right-angle crashes at 22 intersections with red-light safety cameras in operation for two years. In Florida, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) found that red-light running related fatalities at intersections with red-light safety cameras decreased by 49 percent.

About American Traffic Solutions:ATS is proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America. Nationally, ATS has more than 3,500 installed red-light, speed and school bus stop arm safety cameras serving more than 30 million people. For more information, please visit: atsol.com.